Compound DNSTT-Cu2+, a novel chelate of Cu2+ with DOTA conjugated to a fluorescent dansyl fragment, is developed for imaging cell apoptosis. Apoptotic U-87MG cells could be selectively visualized by the fluorescence of DNSTT-Cu2+ from cytoplasm of cells, confirmed by the fluorescence of apoptosis cells co-labeled with Alexa Fluor 568-labeled annexin V, a conventional probe for selectively labeling membranes of apoptosis cells. A radioactive 64Cu2+ analog, DNSTT-64Cu2+, was easily synthesized, providing a potential PET probe for imaging apoptosis in vivo.
Keywords: (64)Cu(2)(+); Annexin V; Apoptosis imaging; Dansyl compound; PET.
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